Is one allowed to perform activities such as reading a secular book, or watching a secular movie before praying the morning prayer, shachrit?
I am not well-versed in the laws of morning prayers; but, ...

The bracha after Kri'at Shema for both Shacharit and Ma'ariv have the phrase מי כמוכה followed by a short paragraph then י-י ימלוך
Between the verse י-י ימלוך and the concluding bracha גאל ישראל we ...

Something that has bothered me for a long time, and I have not found a good explanation for, is why we recite the order of service in the temple following Abbaye in the name of Abba Shaul, despite the ...

There are halachic sources that discuss the importance of davening shemona esrei at netz (at sunrise), some of which state that it is preferable to daven at netz over davening with a minyan (at least ...

Those who wear tefillin on chol hamoed remove them before beginning Hallel. What is the reasoning behind doing that? Also, is there an ideal time to remove them (e.g., before or after the repetition ...

A newcomer to traditional Jewish prayer is often confused or overwhelmed by modern siddurim, in particular those of Artscroll, which contain a number of prayers that are required, and not said by most ...

In the section starting "יוצר אור" at Shacharis, there is a kedusho. When it is said, most people are sitting. I have seen some people who raise themselves slightly as if to get out of their seats for ...

In a number of shuls, it has become a minhag to switch Shat"z during the weekday Shacharit at these locations. I am assuming Nusach Ashkenaz in my examples:
One person says only Birkot Hashachar -> ...

Seemingly, if one is ahead of the congregation and reaches "Yishtabach", he should recite it. Now, suppose he does so, and then the fellow in charge of getting people to lead the services comes over ...

I'm a student at a 6-12 Jewish day school in which mandatory shacharit services (but students are given a choice between several denominational options) are held on Mondays and Thursdays. I help run ...

Based on the verse “Lo tochlu al hadam,” in Vayikra, we learn that one should not eat before praying in the morning.
There is also the concept of Oneg Shabbat. Which basically means that you should ...

As mentioned in this question, there is a fairly widespread custom to kiss the tefillin at certain times during Shacharis, among them the parts of קריאת שמע that mention tefillin.
One of these times ...

In the meditations before putting on the tallit and tefillin in the morning, there are three numbers — 248, 365, and three instances of 613. They’re written out in standard Hebrew letter notation in ...

I have at times noticed that there are disagreements in the grammar of certain brachot in Birchot haShachar. For example, the first brachah is "אשר נתן", one of the later ones is either (depending on ...

In pretty much every shul and yeshiva I've been in has lit Chanukah candles by shacharis, the same number of candles that were lit the night before.
What is the source for this custom, and why is it ...

In shacharit, we recite the 13 middot (already a strange word) through which a piece of Torah text is explained (explicated?) This comes from Braita d'Rav Yishma'el and, admittedly, I haven't look at ...

Tachanun is supplemented on Mondays and Thursdays by extended tachanunim starting "V'hu rachum". On those days, after tachanun is half-kadish (kadish l'ela, as some call it), a short paragraph that ...

The earliest siddur I own (London, 5569 [18808-09]) does not include Ketoret or Akeidah, despite purporting to follow the customs of the "German and Polish" communities [emphasis mine]. Since most of ...

After the morning bracha on the torah, we say "אלו דברים שאין להם שיעור". The source for this text is a combination of the first mishna of Peah, and some additions from the bottom of Shabbat 127a.
I ...

Is praying shacharis after chatzos (midday) permitted, and do you fulfill your obligation? If so, until when? Please give sources, preferably quoting the Mishna Berurah, Alter Rebbe of Lubavitch, or ...

Someone who puts on rabeinu tam at the least says shema as well as other parts of chumash that reference tefillin. Although obviously no tefillin on worn on shabbos should one recite these passages ...

The Mishnah Berurah in 1:17 cites the Shelah Hakodesh, who says that on shabbos and yomtov we do not recite the teffilah of yehey ratzon since we don't bring a nedaveh on shabbos. But is this going ...

I'm flying westward in the morning. I don't think I'll have enough time to pray shacharit before I take off, and don't wish to do so en route. I should land with enough time to pray shacharit before ...

The Mishna (Berakhot 4:1) brings the opinion of R' Yehuda to the effect that the latest time for shacharit is the fourth hour of the day. In explaining R' Yehuda's opinion, Kehati elaborates upon the ...